Mitt's Mates

Whilst I still very much hope that Romney isn't the Republican nomination, it's becoming more and more likely that Romney will be the party's pick. So naturally it's time for sadacts like me to start pondering about who he would choose as his running mate.

Putting a ticket together is not an easy business. There are strategies to this, most broadly defined into either a balanced ticket or a united ticket. A balanced ticket will involve picking someone who is thought to help cancel out some of the candidate's potential negative points. Romney is a wealthy businessman from the north east and is relatively moderate; many more conservative voters and Republican party supporters are deeply concerned that Mitt isn't conservative enough, concerns which are heightened by things like Romney's healthcare reforms in his state of Massachusetts. Floating voters and wavering Democrats may be put off by Romney's astounding wealth and big business background.

Huntsman - not Romney!

Though I wouldn't necessarily align myself with the Republican Party - certainly not in its current state  - I have been following the GOP's nomination process with interest. Whether or not you support Obama, you must at least acknowledge his various failures; it's in everyone's democratic interest to have a strong, electable Republican candidate to put the current President through his paces. I believe Huntsman to be the most well-rounded, experienced candidate, and the best President-in-waiting on offer in the Republican race.

January's political viewing

Hello - happy new year and all that. Politically and economically, you shouldn't have much hope for 2012 - things can only get worse. So ease yourself into what will be an abysmal year with some entertainment.

It's the end of the NHS as we know it

Unlike R.E.M.'s vision, it doesn't start with an earthquake, birds and snakes. It starts with another dangerous proposal.

News has emerged that the Government is planning to allow NHS trusts to raise up to 49% of their funds from private patients. I don't think it would be scaremongering or hyperbolic to suggest that this, on top of the other changes being pushed forward, could spell the end of the NHS as we know it.

The importance of being mental

Here's some facts to get started:

• Anti-depressants are the most commonly prescribed drug in the USA. [source]
• 25% of people in the UK will have mental health issues at some point. [src]
• 10% of children in the UK have a mental health problem. [src]
• Britain has one of the highest self-harm rates in Europe. [src]
• 90% of UK prisoners have a mental disorder. [src]
• Some of the world's most prominent celebrities suffer from mental health problems. [src]

I had the pleasure of meeting Andy Burnham a few weeks ago. One of the things which most stood out from the Q&A session was his proposal of modernising the NHS to ensure that it adapts to the health needs of modern Britain. This adaptation would include putting mental health issues at the heart of the service - something I can't stress enough.

The Open University

This year marks 40 years since the first intake of students to the Open University. Many of us grew up with the familiar late-night OU programmes on the BBC, a legacy from Harold Wilson's dream of a University of the Air - one which would be accessible to all via the radio and the television. Despite many government assaults on it over the years, the OU has survived, and continues to strive to provide an opportunity to study for students young and old, from all walks of life. Now more than ever, we need to defend it.

I blog about history too now, you know. Come and read the ramblings of an undergraduate at the strangely-named History Harlot blog.

The rambling advice of a former A-Level student

What follows is a rambling list of suggestions from me as a former A-Level student on how you can best succeed. By no means do I view myself as an expert, but as an average student who's gone through the process, what I learned the hard way may be useful to at least a few others.

Online opt-in pornography is incredibly dangerous

We should all be naturally sceptical of the government's attempts to limit freedoms. Whilst there are legitimate reasons to limit freedom and favour safety or protection, we should be very, very concerned when it begins to meddle with the freedom of the Internet, and even more worried when it does it in collusion with biggest Internet Service Providers in the country, because it creates an unsavoury relationship of government and corporate power.

 

"Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew."

- G.W. Bush